nursery needs.

True life confession: {jv}'s nursery is still not done and he is three months old. There, I said it. While many mothers share their nurseries before their little ones arrive, we didn't have that same luxury. With the move into our house just before {jv} arrived, I opted for a wait-and-see mentality. Finding out the gender of baby {v} on delivery day was one of life's best surprises, but it did make baby prep a bit more difficult.

While I enjoyed buying gender neutral clothes, I will admit defeat when making decisions about the nursery. I committed to a few pieces which could be easily shared like the crib and glider, but I held off on nearly everything else. (As a funny aside, I did find a navy blue campaign dresser on Craig's List -- and bought it without a second thought. It may have been mother's intuition, but I decided navy was a neutral.)

Once {jv} arrived, I knew the direction I wanted to take the nursery immediately: grey throughout with healthy doses of red, white, and blue. A few years ago, I found an antique American flag (seen here) while decorating our last apartment. The flag used to hang proudly in our dining room, but I was having a hard time finding the right place to display it in our new house. A lightbulb went off when I realized it would be perfect behind his crib. It served as the anchor for the rest of the room -- and paired perfectly with the navy dresser I preemptively purchased last fall. I am now on the hunt for a few final goodies to complete the nursery. The items below are high on my wish list...

clock: this clock is a necessity for practical reasons -- when I breastfeed, I like to keep track of how much time {jv} spends on one side or the other and this would be a simple solution when I don't have my phone.

custom art print: I have a weird obsession with stamps (evidenced by our wedding invitations), so this print caught my eye in a flash. Minted is offering 15% off sitewide through Monday, March 16th, so I may finally pull the trigger on this one...

handpainted globe: it is very difficult to classify this beauty as a "need", but {cv} and I had a funny moment on our first date that involved the topic of globes. (While perusing a Brookstone, I saw an interactive globe and excitedly confessed my love of globes. {cv} told me I was destined to have nerdy children. See the full circle here?)

hinged hanging picture frame: this frame would be perfect to display some of {jv}'s masterpieces down the road. For now, it would be great for special mementos from his first year.

stuffed animal: chosen mostly for his color, this handsome elephant would be perfect for display or fun ;)

whale bookends: these are definitely not in my budget, but they would be so cute holding up a few colorful children's books.

white toy box: from what I'm told, there is no such thing as too much toy storage. I love the simplicity of this toy box. Long after {jv}'s nursery days are gone, this piece would still be in use for storage (or seating).

Aren't some of those goodies so dreamy? I only wish my budget made room for them all. I promise photos of the nursery when it is finally done -- hopefully sooner rather than later ;) Do you have any other favorite shops or sources for nursery knick-knacks? xoxo {av}

P.S. If you had any magical sources for great curtains or window treatments (preferably blackout!), I would be forever grateful if you shared them below!

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